Non-collapsible article carrier



Oct. 11, 1966 J GRASER 3,278,076

NON-COLLAPS IBLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed March 19, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. EARL J. GRASER BYFf A TTORNEV Oct. 11, 1966 E. J. GRASER 3,278,075

NONCOLLAPSIBLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed March 19, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IWEWOR. FIG 65 EARL J. (JR/455R A T TOR/V5 V Oct. 11, 1966 J GRASER NON-COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLE CARRIER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 19, 1965 INVENTOR. EARL J CHASE/Q BY @J ATTORNEY FIG-6 United States Patent 3,278,076 NON-COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLE CARRIER Earl John Graser, Monroe, La., assignor to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Filed Mar. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 441,050 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-115) The present invention relates to multiple-cell article carriers and relates in particular to article carriers of the above class which are convertible from a collapsed condition to an erect condition.

Ordinarily, these article carriers are fabricated and shipped from the point of manufacture to a customer in the collapsed condition. At the customers location, the collapsed carrier is erected, manually or by suitable machinery.

Usually, the carrier is provided with a releasable lock means operative to retain the carrier in the erect condition. Upon release of the lock, the carrier can be returned to its collapsed condition.

The present invention relates to a multiple-cell article carrier operable to convert from a collapsed to an erect condition where the carrier is formed with a lock means or lock structure which renders the carrier permanently non-collapsible after the initial erection.

Therefore, it is a particular feature of the present invention to provide an article carrier which is convertible from a collapsed condition to an erect condition including lock means cooperating with the bottom wall of the carrier for retaining the carrier in the erect condition permanently.

A multiple-cell article carrier having a bottom wall and an internal partition structure embracing certain principles of the present invention may comprise lock means for retaining the carton in the erect condition permanently, said means including a locking slot formed in the bottom wall and a cooperating locking tab hinged to and projecting from the internal partition structure, said locking tab being operable to project through said slot and overlay a portion of the exterior of said bottom wall and means for fixing the locking tab to the bottom wall.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a one-piece, single-ply blank convertible into a multiple-cell article carrier.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank of FIG. 1 after the occurrence of certain conventional folding and gluing operations.

FIG. 3 shows the fully folded and glued blank in the collapsed condition.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 represent a series of perspective views showing the various steps practiced in converting the col lapsed carier of FIG. 3 into the erect and locked conditron.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the reference numeral 10 identifies a single-ply, one-piece blank of fiberboard material suitably slotted, scored, spotted with glue, and formed with cut-outs so that the blank can be folded and glued to generate a collapsed article carrier.

The blank 10 comprises a bottom wall 11 having locking slots 12 and 13 which cooperate with mating locking tabs 14 and 16 hinged to and depending from internal partition elements 17 and 18, respectively.

The blank 10 further includes side walls 19 and 21, and end walls 22, 23, 24, and 26.

3,278,076 Patented Oct. 111, 1966 Internal partition elements 27 and 28 cooperate with corresponding elements 17 and 18 to generate internal longitudinal partition structure projecting inwardly from the end walls of the carton.

The blank 10 of FIG. 1 is converted into a. collapsed carton or carrier by folding handle panel 29 about score line 31 and gluing the panel 29 into face-to-face contact with mating panel 32.

Next, partition elements 17 and 27 are rotated about score line 33; correspondingly, partition elements 18 and 28 are rotated about score line 34.

When the blank is folded into the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, additional spots of glue are applied as indicated by the hatching.

Next, the bottom wall 11 is folded about its central score line 36; thereafter, the portion of the blank indicated by the letter A is folded about hinge line H to bring portion A into face-to-face contact with the portion labeled B to develop the collapsed carton of FIG. 3 in the usual and customary way.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it is apparent that the completely formed collapsed carton shows locking tabs 14 and 16 projecting from the partition elements 17 and 18, respectively. The elements 17 and 18 cooperate with mating elements 27 and 28 to generate internal partition structure upon erection of the carton.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, note that as the carton is erected in the usual manner, the tabs 14 and 16 approach and ultimately fall into register with cooperating locking slots 12 and 13.

As is apparent in FIG. 5, when the carton is fully erected with the body thereof forming a right rectangular prism, the tabs 14 and 16 project through bottom wall 11 having passed through cooperating notches 12 and 13.

At this point, appropriate spots of glue are applied to the tabs 14 and 16 and they are then rotated about their respective score lines 38 and 39 (see FIG. 1) into faceto-face contact with the exterior of the bottom wall 11.

Obviously, any suitable means, such as stapling or sewing, may be utilized to fasten or fix the locking tabs permanently to bottom wall 11.

Thus, when the carton is in the erect condition shown in FIG. 6 with the tabs 14 and 16 fastened to the bottom wall 11, the article carrier is permanently locked in the erect condition.

It is anticipated that a wide variety of modifications and design changes may be devised in the disclosed article carrier without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a one-piece, single-ply blank convertible into a walls, bottom walls, and a longitudinal partition structure extending generally normal to the plane of the end walls when the carrier is in the erect condition, the improvement comprising means for locking the carrier in the erect condition permanently, said means defining at least one notch formed in the bottom wall and a cooperating tab hinged to the longitudinal partition, said notch being operative to receive said hinge tab so that the tab can be glued to the bottom side of the bottom wall effective to lock the carrier in the erect condition.

2. The blank of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal partition structure is formed by two pairs of cooperating partition elements and one element of each pair has a locking tab hinged thereto.

3. In a multiple-cell carrier of the type which is convertible from a collapsed condition to an erect condition, said carrier having a bottom wall and an internal partition structure, the improvement comprising lock means for retaining the carton in the erect condition permanently, said means defining at least one locking slot formed in the bottom Wall of a carton, a cooperating locking tab hinged to and projecting from the internal partition structure, said locking tab being operable to project through said slot and being further operable to overlay a portion of the exterior of said bottom Wall, and means for connecting said locking tab to the bottom condition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,755,959 7/1956 Ringler 220-113 3,138,285 6/1964 Wenzel -2 220--1 13 3,140,797 7/1964 ArnesOn 220-1 13 3,168,211 2/1965 Petter 220-113 3,187,938 6/1965 Holmes 220113 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ONE-PIECE, SINGLE-PLY BLANK CONVERTIBLE INTO A WALLS, BOTTOM WALLS, AND A LONGITUDINAL PARTITION STRUCTURE EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE END WALLS WHEN THE CARRIER IS IN THE ERECT CONDITION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS FOR LOCKING THE CARRIER IN THE ERECT CONDITION PERMANENTLY, SAID MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE NOTCH FORMED IN THE BOTTOM WALL AND A COOPERATING TAB HINGED TO THE LONGITUDINAL PARTITION, SAID NOTCH BEING OPERATIVE TO RECEIVE SAID HINGE TAB SO THAT THE TAB CAN BE GLUED TO THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE BOTTOM WALL EFFECTIVE TO LOCK THE CARRIER IN THE ERECT CONDITION. 